Tulowitzki hits 2 more HRs, has 14 in 15 games

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LOS ANGELES(AP) -- The Colorado Rockies are hoping to ride Troy
Tulowitzki's phenomenal homer streak right into the postseason.

Tulowitzki hit two more home runs Saturday - tying a modern
major league record with 14 in a 15-game stretch - and the
Rockies kept up their pursuit of a playoff spot by routing the
Los Angeles Dodgers 12-2 for their 20th victory in 26 games.

"I really don't have words to describe what we're seeing from
Troy Tulowitzki," manager Jim Tracy said. "I mean, how do you
describe 14 homers in 15 games? You know, it's one thing to be
hot, and another to be in a zone like this guy is in. But he has
that type of mentality. He loves this time of the year, and he's
proven that going back to 2007."

The Rockies are a game back of San Diego in the NL West and 2
1/2 behind Atlanta in the wild-card race.

Tulowitzki has four multihomer games this season - all of them
within his last 10 games - and is hitting .394 with 35 RBIs in
his last 16 contests. He joined Albert Belle (1995) and Barry
Bonds (2001) as the only players since 1900 to homer 14 times in
a span of 15 games.

"That's awesome. But I think the timing of it - coming down the
stretch here - is what definitely makes me a lot happier with it
because it's huge for our team," Tulowitzki said. "If you had to
pick one time to do it, it would be now. So I'm definitely proud
of that.

"I might not play any better than this in my entire career, so
it's something that I'll always remember," he added. "But for
right now, I'm not done with this."

The Rockies' shortstop hit a two-run homer in the first inning,
doubled in the third and added another two-run shot in the fifth
against rookie John Ely. Tulowitzki fouled out with the bases
loaded in the eighth, but Melvin Mora hit a grand slam later in
the inning. Mora also singled home a run. His five RBIs were one
off his career best with Baltimore in 2008.

Tulowitzki got the Rockies rolling after a two-out walk in the
first to NL batting leader Carlos Gonzalez, then hit a
first-pitch homer to center field for his 26th of the season
after another walk to Gonzalez in the fifth.

"The guy who hits in front of him, you try to be careful and
then you realize that you're up against this guy," Dodgers
manager Joe Torre said. "He makes such a difference in that
ballclub, not only with the ability he has on the field but his
leadership as well. He's a special young man and he gives them a
great deal of energy over there."

Gonzalez, batting .341, also leads the league with 184 hits and
328 total bases. And his 106 RBIs give opposing teams plenty of
incentive to pitch around him. He's drawn 38 walks, eight of
which have been intentional.

"I wouldn't say they're not pitching to Carlos," Tulowitzki
said. "We've just faced a lot of right-handers lately, and
common sense says the righty-righty matchup is better."

Ryan Spilborghs had an RBI single in the fifth to extend his
hitting streak to a career-best 12 games. In five of those
games, Spilborghs kept the streak going as a pinch-hitter.

"When you've got a talented group of guys like this, it's not a
shock to see guys go on hitting streaks and it's not a surprise
to see guys get hot like Cargo (Gonzalez) and Tulo," Spilborghs
said. "I mean, there's a lot more talent in here than a lot of
people ever give us credit for. We've had streaks like this in
three of the last four years because we're good, not because
we're lucky."

Jhoulys Chacin (9-9) threw 111 pitches over eight innings and
was pulled three outs shy of his first big league shutout and
complete game. The 22-year-old righty scattered nine hits,
struck out two and did not allow a walk in his 20th career
start.

"If they let me pitch one more inning, I could have, because I
felt much better in the eighth than I did in the first seven
innings," Chacin said. "But that's their decision. I just wanted
to get a win, no matter of I threw a complete game or not."

Chacin escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, throwing a
sinker to get Ryan Theriot to ground into a double play. Theriot
has just four hits in his last 45 at-bats.

Russ Mitchell hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers in the ninth
against Franklin Morales.

Ely (4-8) gave up six runs on five hits and five walks in 4 1-3
innings. The 24-year-old righty is in his second stint with the
Dodgers this season. He was inserted into the rotation because
of Vicente Padilla's season-ending neck injury.

Notes: Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw will start Sunday's series
finale with a string of 29 consecutive scoreless innings against
the Rockies at Dodger Stadium. ... Matt Kemp hasn't homered in
his 23 games and 81 at-bats since his 449-foot solo shot at
Milwaukee against Dave Bush. Andre Ethier has homered only twice
in 70 at-bats over his last 20 games. Kemp and Ethier lead the
Dodgers with 22 homers each, after combining for 57 last season.